Metformin should be taken with food to reduce the risk of stomach upset, which is one of the most common side effects in people who take this medicine. Metformin helps you control your blood sugar by increasing insulin sensitivity and decreasing glucose production in your liver. Most people take metformin as part of a two-drug regimen along with a sulfonylurea drug, such as glipizide or glyburide.
What happens if you do not have it with food?
If you’re one of the many millions of Americans who suffer from heartburn every year, chances are you’ve heard a lot of advice about whether or not you should take your acid reducer before meals.
Occasionally, antacids containing calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide (i.e., Tums) may be taken after a meal to relieve symptoms such as heartburn, indigestion, and sour stomach. But taking an antacid any time other than after a meal is unnecessary and can even be harmful in some cases.
To understand why this is so, let’s look at how these medicines work:
They neutralize acids by creating a chemical reaction that forms new compounds.
While some antacids contain aluminum salts and can interfere with the absorption of iron, calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide are very unlikely to do this when taken at recommended doses. Taking an antacid anytime other than after a meal could actually delay or prevent the relief provided by food-related heartburn.
